Update (for my mom)

Blogging has kind of taken a low priority in life lately, but due to repeated complaints from my mom that I never post anymore, I thought I might as well update the world on what I've been doing. I'm gonna list everything and then fill in the gaps as I find time.

May
Facebook
Blame this evil invention for my lack of blogging!! I know I've mentioned Facebook before, but this has become my new essential means for keeping in touch with ppl. It's really great.

French Evening

Although this actually happened in March, I realised that I forgot to mention in my blog. A group of friends from work, some French and some learning French get together every few months for French evenings to practice there language skills. I had been dreaming of an invite for ages, but I wasn't actually sure my French was up to their standards. After starting French conversation classes, it seemed that Stuart must have spread a rumour that my French was of acceptable quality, and I cracked the nod! As usual Danielle (Aussie friend from work) put on a wonderful spread, and we had a great fondue. Unfortuantely without Fanny there we didn't actually speak much French, and when Dave and Richie joined the party, the French pretty much stopped!! It was a tasty night out though!! C'est magnifique!!

Basketball
Surprise!! I know it's improbable but I did actually try playing basketball with a group of people from work. It was quite fun, but after while it started getting too serious, and I didn't like the feeling of being useless compared to the sporty people!! Rules schmoolz! I can't concentrate on such things when I'm trying to run, catch, throw, etc... It was never gonna happen!! I just don't have the sporty gene! Unfortuantely although I try to suppress it, I do have a competitive gene, and I hate being useless!!

Wisbech

During May and June I was involved in a new project at work, the Wisbech flood defence scheme. Initially I helped out with the bid for the mini competition. We had to submit a really short summary of why we would be the best company for the job. This was quite a challenge and an interesting learning experience seeing how to intelligently undercut the competition. We had to go through two rounds of submissions before finally winning the job at a third round presentation stage. The project involves replacing and upgradng a series of flood defence walls through a local town.

Nuala has malaria
One thing that got us all really worried in May was when my friend Nuala got diagnosed with malaria. She had been working in Tanzania and was on holiday in Europe when she took ill. We were originally supposed to meet in Spain for a holiday, but luckily for both of us that was cancelled and she was staying with her family in France when things got really serious. Apparently her heart stopped, but the paramedics managed to revive her!!! Poor thing was in the ICU in France for ages, but finally she recovered and we go to meet up in London on her way back to TZ.

London with Nuala

Nuala was only in London for one day, so I took the day off work and went down to meet up with her. We met in Earl's Court got some breakfast (muffin and coffee for me) and then headed off on the tubes. We did loads of site seeing, taking photos at the Tower of London, Tower bridge and St Paul's. W were lucky enough to arrive in the middle of some sort of service at St Paul's, so entry was free and we got to have a look around. We stuck to the side corridors, but I couldn't believe how some of the tourist were walking back and forth in front of everyone attending the service!! Shocking!!

Later on we met up with Jack/Edmund for lunch in Covent Garden and then took a cultural stop at the Tate Modern. Saw some really cool art. Poor Jack then had to go off socialising, so Nuala and I headed to Putney where we met Dave for dinner. We went to a really great little Italian place and the food was yummy!

I then escorted Nuala back to Earl's Court and got a sneaky look at Jack's new flat. Wow!! His place is awesome! It's a loft conversion, at the top of an apartment block, and has a great view from the rooftop patio area. The only tricky thing was trying to get Nuala's bags down the teeny tiny spiral stair case!! Finally I got her on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. It was great to have a friend to jol about London with, and I can't wait til someone else visits!

Smelly's birthday
James, my mate from varsity, moved to London this year and finally we got around to a social gathering for his birthday. The plan was to have a picnic in the sun on Wimbledon Common, but typical London (or anywhere for that matter) as soon as we settled on the grass the rain began to fall. As a result we ended up in a local pub ALL afternoon! It was good to see loads of old varsity friends again. Everyone seems to be doing very well for them selves over here in the UK. We watched the rugby in the pub (which we had taken over, much to the annoyance of the pommie patrons)!

Fanny leaves Peterborough & Cambridge Beer Festival

Fanny is one of the best friends I have made while working in Peterborough. She is from France and originally she lived just down the road from me in Peterborough, but she moved to Cambridge for a bit more cultural life. Since having a car this year, I have often been to visit her in Cambridge. When she told me she was thinking of leaving, I was relaly upset, but I guess that that is going to be the case with many of the friends I meet while I am over here. So many of us are here temporarily with plans to move on after getting some experience.

Fanny's departure was particularly rushed and most people only knew she was leaving 2 week before she was booked to fly. On her last weekend in the UK, we had a great lunch out in the pub, and then Gareth, Dave and I took a trip to Cambridge to up with her and her other friends to atted the Cambridge Beerfest.

Not being a big beer fan, I tried a few ciders (:-P), but I was mostly sober. Not sure how I managed to be convinced to have my face painted, but it was all good fun! Gareth thought he was super cool with his Jack Sparrow make up and balloon sword! It was the last night of the festical, so a lot of the beer was finished pretty quickly and most of the evening was spent standing around talking nonsense (including conversation about what language was the best for swearing in English, French or Afrikaans). After things cooled down in the beer tent, we ambled into town (right across town actually) and headed into a bar/club with a dancefloor. It was more than a little embarrassing standing around sober in a trendy bar with a butterfly painted on my face!! Dave was driving so he was also sober, and his main concern was the pack of girls on a hen nite who were camped out in front of the gents accosting every guy who came past! Jack Sparrow was trying very hard to score, but had no success yet by the time Dave and I headed home, walking across Cambridge back to the car at Fanny's place. Although the walk was long it was probably a good idea as the fresh air woke us up for the drive home. The folowing week Fanny headed back to France and is now woking in Aix-en-Provence.... I can't wait to visit!

June
R&C Team Bowling



Dave's cousin's birthday

Steve & Jules' Farewell


Raeesa and Roberta come to visit

National Portrait Gallery
Stopped in here on the way home from something or other in London. It was open quite late which was great cos I had a bit of time to kill. One of the most interesting exhibits was the BP Portrait Award, which it turns out was won by a South African, Paul Emsley.
See his full size pic here



Beef Wellington


West End Live 2007


Braai at Dave & Shaun's


Office Meet and Greet


Dinner with Raeesa

July
Trawling the archives


St Germans site visit


Harry Potter 7


Dave moves house and other palava


London and the UK in Flood

Dave's new house


My Birthday


August
Wicked and other musicals


Act4SA March


Working in London and on the Olympics
Hectic bru!.... But I can't tell you anything cos I signed a confidentiality agreement

Cricket in Sunbury


Mike and Richard clean house


Driving to and from London


Girls Nite Out in Peterborough


Farewell at the Pub
Today I had an early farewell pub lunch. I was a little worried that no one would pitch, but most ppl came. This fn afternoon and the girls nite out made me feel super sad to be leaving this great bunch of Atkins Peterborough folk! Have I made the wrong decision?